And Lead Us Not Into Temptation
by Aeilyn Montgomery
Summary: Mugen, Jin and Fuu reunite a year and a half after they part ways. However, the trio stumbles onto a town ruled by a radical Christian minister. What will happen? Will the trio undertake a new adventure? And who will they meet along the way? MuXOC later.
1. Prologue

Hello everyone! This is my first attempt at a Samurai Champloo fic; I hope that I can keep the characters mostly realistic. Anyways, please R & R!!!!

Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Champloo or any of its characters, plot, and ideas.

Prologue

The sound of the waves lapping against the side of the boat was the most peaceful sound she had heard in days. Their journey had been long and hard; storms and illness had claimed a few of their number, and despair was swiftly claiming others. No one had really imagined that the months aboard the ship would have passed so slowly… But the captain said that land would soon be in sight, and then they would be able to leave the ship and stretch their legs. Land! How beautiful that word sounded. Trees and grass and birds…

Loud shouts quickly jerked the woman out of her reverie. The Reverend was calling them to pray. She sighed softly as her feet made soft thuds on the wooden deck, and joined the rest of the community in front of the main cabin. As she bowed her head, the minister's words rang out sharply into the salty air…

"Dear God! We thank you for our safe journey thus far, and we ask you, dear Lord. To assist us in our holy endeavor… Let us spread your word Father, and enable us to bring light and Your word to the heathens we will encounter… Let us brand them with the love of Your son when we reach this new land, called 'Japan'…"

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"HEY! Get back here!!" the man yelled as Mugen dashed out of the teahouse. "You have to pay your bill!"

Mugen paid no attention, racing down the street and leaving the shouting voices far behind him. "Ha, try and catch me now bastard!" He yelled back over his shoulder.

A few streets away, his steps slowed, and he continued walking at a slower pace. Putting his arms behind his head, he tilted his head back and stared at the clear sky. Once again, he found himself thinking of Jin and Fuu.

"Wonder what the little bitch and fish face are doin' now?" he mused to himself. "Ah, what the hell. Who gives a fuck?"

"There he is!" someone yelled behind him. Looking back, he saw the officials running towards him with swords drawn.

"Time to go!" he said to himself, and dashed off down the street. Looks like he had to be heading off to another town. That's all he'd been doing since the three of them had gone their separate ways. Just goin' to the next town.

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Jin sheathed his sword, and turned away from the body in front of him. He pushed his glasses a little farther up his nose, and walked away slowly. Another day, another body. Things weren't the same since he'd left Mugen and Fuu; he had become a wandering ronin and did odd jobs around the towns that he passed through. Every so often those jobs involved taking care of a fugitive that was plaguing and town and its people, such as this foolish man.

As his feet carried him toward the town building that would pay him the bounty on the head of the criminal, he sighed inwardly. It had been only a year and a half since he'd left the two of them, and it was still a year before he could return for Shino. When would life begin to get interesting again?

When Fuu had been around, they had always been running into trouble. Without the constant fighting and brawling, Jin felt like his skills were becoming more rusty. He had not found a worthy opponent in months. At least Mugen had kept things interesting.

A few hours later, Jin was on the road again. On to the next town, he thought he could reach it before dark. When was life going to become more interesting again?

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"Coming!" Fuu yelled, as she ran with the tea and sake on her tray. She skidded to a stop in front of the table, almost tripping and toppling the mug of tea.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried, placing the sake on the table. "I'll get you another in just a moment." She ran back behind the curtain, pouring another mug of tea.

"Fuu…" The tired voice of the old woman broke through her high-strung panic.

"Yes?" She turned around almost poured scalding tea on herself.

"Fuu, please try to calm down. This is the third customer that you've dropped something on. It isn't a race."

"I know Megumi…" Fuu said miserably. "I'm sorry I'm so clumsy, I can't really help it. I'm just so jumpy today."

"I know Fuu. Perhaps… perhaps you should take the rest of the evening off. Get some rest." The older woman kindly laid her hand on Fuu's shoulder.

"Are you sure?" Fuu asked hesitantly. "You're so busy…"

"I'm sure," Megumi said firmly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Fuu walked out of the back of the teahouse with her head down. 'Why can't I concentrate today?' she asked herself. But she knew. She hadn't slept well for weeks; she kept having nightmares – nightmares about almost losing her bodyguards. Jin and Mugen.

She sighed. A whole year and a half… She'd settled in this town a few months after they had parted ways, and had gotten the job with Megumi in the teahouse. But she was bored with this life, bored with having a routine and a schedule.

As she neared her house, she paused. 'I wonder when I'm going to see them again?' she mused.

To be continued….

Yes, I know, not long. And it's just an intro. But stories have to start somewhere, right? Please please please please REVIEW!!


	2. Chapter 1: A Friend in Need

Hello again! Here's the first actual chapter; I really hope that you enjoy it!

Here's a note: When there are passages of Japanese and English, words in /TEXT/ are in English.

Disclaimer: I don't own ANYTHING from Samurai Champloo.

**Chapter 1: A Friend in Need**

_Ecclesiastes 4:10_

_For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up._

The young woman walked down the gangplank, and paused before she reached the beach. Her eyes roved the seashore, taking in the sand and the coastline. Land. Finally, finally they had finished their journey. Finally there would be no more rolling decks, no more seasickness, and no more captivity. For a few minutes, she was free.

The sounds of shouts and laughter filled the air. Two children ran by, giggling and splashing in the shallows. The young woman smiled. This was their chance for a new life, a chance to begin again, away from war and hate.

The Reverend was calling. The young woman turned and walked swiftly across the sand, and came to a stop by his side. She bowed her head silently as he began to speak. His words flowed over her, but she didn't listen. She didn't listen to him speak about finding the nearest village. She didn't listen to his plans for taking over power and establishing a church. She didn't listen as he encouraged the settlers to show no mercy to the natives, or how he told them it was best to take the rod to the wayward child.

Instead, she was daydreaming. She was imagining a life without violence. The new opportunity they had in this new land. Inwardly, she sighed. It would never happen.

xxxXXXxxx

A few weeks had passed. In those few weeks, she had learned the name of the island on which they had landed: Ikitski. The captain of the ship had told them that this was a prominent place for the hidden followers of Christ: the Kakure Christians. The captain had cautioned them about the dangers of preaching Christianity in a country that would prosecute and kill Christians. The Reverend, however, didn't see the need for secrecy. He had planned on storming into a village, preaching high hell and holy fire. What a foolish man.

Instead, they had built huts and shelters along the coastline in a number of caves below the cliffs. The ship had sailed as soon as the colonists had disembarked; the captain did not wish to be found ferrying illegal immigrants into the country. So, they were stranded in a foreign land, with barely any means of survival.

Their supplies would last for a month or so, but the colonists had planned on farming. While forced to remain hidden though, there was not much opportunity for cultivating the land. Although the colonists were frightened, the Reverend told them it was trial from God Himself – and the Reverend's flock would meet it.

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Fuu dashed down the street as people jumped out of her way. 'Late late late late LATE!' she mentally screamed at herself as she skidded around the corner to the teashop. Flying through the doorway, she slid to a stop at the sight in front of her.

A few men from the local gang were crowded around Megumi, leering at her cruelly. One of them was stretching her arm almost to the breaking point, forcing her to stand on her tiptoes. The old woman's face was twisted in both pain and humiliation as the leader of the gang spoke to her.

"So here's the deal old lady. You give us this food for free, or my friend's here hand might just slip…" the leering man nodded to another gang member that Fuu hadn't seen; he was holding burning match by one of the curtains. "You wouldn't want that, now would you?" the gang leader sneered.

"Hey!" Fuu shouted, stepping forward. "Leave her alone!"

"Fuu…" Megumi groaned, raising her head painfully. Fuu saw that they had beaten the old woman; blood trickled from a split lip, and one of her eyes was turning black and swelling shut. "Fuu, you shouldn't say anything. Just please, leave."

Fuu's huge, doe-brown eyes widened. "I can't just leave you here!"

The man holding Megumi nodded to one of his cronies. Grinning at her lecherously, he pulled out a knife and stepped forward. "Well you're awful pretty now, ain't ya?"

The leader smirked. "How about this, I got an idea for a new deal. How about we take this pretty little lady with us, and forget all about eating." His eyes roved over her body, noting every curve under her kimono. "I think there are other things we could be doing."

Fuu instinctively wrapped her arms around herself, and began to back away. Megumi gasped in pain as she was thrown to the floor, and the four men began advancing towards Fuu. She backed away towards the door, her eyes flicking from Megumi to the gang members.

"Fuu, run!" Megumi cried out as the leader lunged forward, grabbing at Fuu.

The girl tried to run, but she wasn't quick enough. She felt his hand close around her arm and opened her mouth to scream, when she caught a glimpse of movement out of her eye, saw the flash of a blade, and then the warm spray of blood on her wrist. Looking down, she gagged. While there was still a hand around her wrist, it was no longer connected to an arm. Instead, there was a bleeding stump, and the man started screaming.

She let out a shriek and shook the severed member off. Looking up she saw another flash of red that looked suspiciously like… No. It wasn't possible. _Mugen?_

The wild-haired, feral-eyed man stood in front of her, grinning dangerously at the gang members. "Well, just what the fuck do you think that you're doing?" He pointed his sword at the men. Fuu noticed that while the sheath and the hilt of the sword were the same, the blade had been replaced.

"Who the hell are you?" the leader snarled, drawing his own blade. "Don't you know not to mess with the Raion gang? What are you, stupid?"

"Raion gang?" Mugen blinked. "Never heard of 'em. But I don't give a shit about who you are anyways. You just pissed me off."

The leader's retort was cut off as Mugen charged. In a matter of moments, he had wiped out the four men and was wiping his sword on the back of one of the corpses.

Fuu ran over to Megumi and tried to help her up, but the old woman wasn't moving. Fuu stared at her in horror, and at the gash in her head where she had slammed into a table leg. Feeling for a pulse, Fuu relaxed a little. Megumi was just unconscious, not dead. But she needed medical attention immediately.

"Mugen!" The girl whirled around, focusing on the wiry man behind her

"Huh?" he turned around and blinked at Fuu in surprise. "Oh, it's you. I shoulda known it would be you in here. Why the hell is it you can't seem to stay out of trouble?"

"Wait…" Fuu stared at him. "You mean you didn't just save me because it was me?"

Mugen sheathed his sword, and put his arms behind his head. "Nope. Those guys just pissed me off earlier, so I decided to interrupt whatever they were doing. Just happened to be you they wanted to do."

"Me they- hey!" Fuu shouted, blushing. "You are so _vulgar_ Mugen. You haven't changed a bit!" After she said that, she paused. Her face softened a little, and she gave a small smile. "Still… it's good to see you Mugen."

Mugen saw Fuu smile at him, and he couldn't help wanting to smile in return. (Not that he ever would.) He never would have thought it possible, but seeing her reminded him that he had missed her smile and laugh, and he had even missed her incessant talking and getting into trouble. She looked like he remembered, maybe a little curvier. She had to be about 17 by now, and she was finally starting to look a little more like a woman. He smirked inwardly. Too bad that he still thought about her as a sister; she might actually turn out to be hot.

"Yeah, whatever. At least if you're around again things won't be boring anymore." Mugen raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "Hey, is that old broad breathing?" he asked, jerking his head towards Megumi.

"Oh my gosh, Megumi!" Fuu's hands flew to her mouth. "I can't believe I almost forgot! I have to go find the doctor." Getting to her feet, she grabbed Mugen's arm and dragged him out the door. "Come on! We have to go now!"

"Crazy bitch," Mugen muttered as he allowed himself to be unceremoniously pulled down the street.

xxxXXXxxx

Megumi remained unconscious for hours. Although Fuu stayed in the doctor's clinic waiting for her employer and friend to wake, Mugen left after a short while. Fuu didn't mind terribly; she knew that he wasn't the type to wait around for long. She just hoped that he wouldn't leave town without saying goodbye…

"Fuu… Fuu, is that you?" the old woman's voice broke through Fuu's thoughts. The girl leaned forward eagerly.

"Megumi! Oh Megumi, I was afraid that you weren't going to wake up," Fuu said, her eyes filling with tears of relief.

The old woman gave a weak smile. "I may be old, but I'm not ready to die that easily." The smile suddenly disappeared. "But Fuu, listen to me. You must get away from here."

"What?" Fuu looked confusedly at Megumi.

The woman struggled to sit up. "Fuu, the Raion gang is dangerous. They'll come after you for revenge, I know they will."

Fuu smiled at her softly. "Listen Megumi, I'll be fine. I have a friend here, someone who's really strong. I mean, he can be a real jerk, but I'll be safe with him. You don't need to worry."

Megumi's lined face didn't relax. "Fuu, please understand. It doesn't matter how strong your friend is; he won't be here forever. And when he leaves, the gang will come after you. It would be safer for you if you'd just leave."

"But…" Fuu hesitated. "How can I leave you? Especially if the Raions are so dangerous? Won't they come after you too?"

Megumi shook her head slowly. "I'll be here for a while, recovering. After that I think that I may go stay with my nephew for a little while. I haven't seen him and his wife in years…" her voice drifted off as she lost herself in thought for a moment.

Fuu looked at Megumi. The woman had given her a job, friendship, and had started to become like a grandmother to her. Her kindness to Fuu had revealed itself in numerous ways, and the girl thought herself indebted to the woman. But perhaps Megumi was right. Fuu didn't want to bring any more trouble to her friend by staying in town, even if that meant leaving and moving on. She sighed. At least Mugen was there… Maybe he would let her travel with him for a while. It would be just like old times. Fuu felt her heart warm. The thought made her smile.

"All right," Fuu said softly. "I'll gather my things and leave tonight." She bent down and kissed Megumi on the cheek. "Thank you so much for everything Megumi. If I ever can, I'll pay you back for everything you've done for me."

Megumi smiled back, her wrinkled face warming. "You've done so much already Fuu. I was lonely before you came, and you've filled my life with light and quite a bit of excitement. You have nothing to repay. Now, quickly, you should go." She reached up and squeezed Fuu's hand. "Good luck, Fuu."

Fuu squeezed back. "Thanks Megumi. Good luck to you too."

The girl turned, and ran out the door, waving behind her as she went. Megumi smiled. She would be all right; she could feel it.

Fuu ran through the town, searching for Mugen. He wasn't hard to find. The second place she looked told her about a loud-mouthed, disrespectful young man who had been eyeing up the menu with no intention of paying for anything. Fuu sighed; that was Mugen, all right. She set off in the direction the man said Mugen had gone.

She found him sitting in front of a shop, chatting up a couple of young ladies. They were too busy batting their eyelashes at him, to notice his hand slipping close and closer to their waists… Fuu saw them jump up, look scandalized, and throw their onigiri at him. Mugen shamelessly caught the food in midair, and proceeded to wolf it down.

"You should have seen that coming," she remarked dryly, coming up behind him.

Mugen grunted in reply. Fuu supposed that she should be thankful that he hadn't tried to respond with words, as his mouth was still full.

"Mugen…" her tone became more serious, and the man turned his eyes to her. Wild eyes, the eyes of a stray dog.

"Mugen, I need to leave town. Megumi has asked me to go to avoid any gang members seeking revenge. I was wondering… could I travel with you?" she looked at him through dark lashes.

"Travel with me? What makes you think I want ya around, girly?" he stretched. "You'll cramp my style."

Fuu sighed. She wasn't above playing dirty. "I have money, Mugen. If you take me with you, I'll buy you food."

"And women?" Mugen asked hopefully.

"We'll see…" Fuu rolled her eyes. "One track mind…"

"Ah, what the hell. Got nothing better to do anyways. And like I said before, you'll make it interesting." Mugen jumped to his feet. "Well, let's find someplace to stay."

She was surprised he had taken the news so well and agreed to it so quickly. "We're leaving tonight."

He stared at her. "What the fuck? Tonight? But I haven't even-"

So much for taking it well… "Tonight!" Fuu cut him off. She turned around and strutted off. "Come on, you jerk. I have to stop by my house and grab a few things before we leave."

"You have a house?" Mugen asked curiously. He followed after the slim figure in front of him. He had always figured that she'd find someone to settle down with, but it looked like she was still by herself. Weird broad.

Fuu's house was on the outskirts of town. It was rather small, but clean. There was a small garden of wildflowers in the front, which was attracting beautiful butterflies, and filled the air with sweet fragrances. Mugen waited inside the door while Fuu rushed around gathering up things and rearranging others. Although the home was neat, he was surprised at how bare it was. He had assumed that Fuu would want more… color? She seemed to love pink.

After a few minutes of gathering up all her money and spare change and grabbing a satchel with a few belongings, she was ready to leave. The two of them walked out of the door, and down the path to the road. As they set off away from her house and town, Fuu looked back for a moment. She was surprised that she didn't feel sad at all. Instead, she was a little excited. She was finally starting another journey with one of the friends she had missed so much. Although the journey probably wouldn't be long, and it wasn't to anywhere in particular, she was still excited. Life with Mugen was always exciting. Now if only they could run into Jin somewhere… She missed the quiet samurai. She wondered if he ever thought about them.

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Jin had found lodging for the night at a small inn. As he lay in his room staring at the ceiling his mind wandered, inevitably of course, to Mugen and Fuu. He found it strange that he was dwelling on the two so often; it was not in his nature to spend time living in memories. However, he couldn't help wondering about them, especially Fuu. Of course he wondered if Mugen had gotten himself arrested or executed yet, it wouldn't be surprising either way, but he was especially concerned about Fuu. The girl had an uncanny knack for getting into trouble. That night, a year and a half ago by the river… he had been about to offer to go with her, to continue to protect her, but she had interrupted him. She hadn't wanted to think about it. And he had let it go.

Jin sighed. He knew in his heart that he would see his two friends again. He just wondered when. Although he would never say it out loud… he was lonely.

xxxxxxxXXXXXxxxxxxx

Lonely. The woman was lonely. They had been on Ikitski Island for a few months now, and the Reverend had managed to make the entire village into churchgoers. The ones who didn't fear him worshipped him; they listened to his impassioned words with awe, and fell down before him. His fervor, and the way that he glowed with zealousness drew them to him. He was the mighty hand of God, and he smote those who did not listen or refused to believe. Often the lower caves echoed with the sounds of whiplashes and screams. The woman hated it.

The woman could speak Japanese. She had learned with the Reverend and some of the other travelers. It was necessary, to bring their message to the heathens. They had to speak the same language. But the woman didn't see heathens when she looked at the villagers wearing threadbare clothing, and walking by with their heads bowed. She saw pain, and her heart ached. She heard the screams of the villagers being punished, and her heart ached. At night when she lay on the bed and the Reverend called upon her to uphold her duty as a wife, and he moved over and within her, grunting and sweating, cursing her, her heart ached. When would it stop?

But when the others saw her, when the Reverend saw her, she was calm, quiet, obedient, subservient, hard working, and efficient. She cooked and cleaned, she organized the women, she helped watch the children, and she supported the Reverend. She did her duty as the wife of a minister, the leader of a flock. No one knew her thoughts and how she suffered, but behind the scenes? Behind the scenes she treated the wounds of the whipped. She gave food to the hungry. She helped the women who were beaten by their husbands, and comforted the children beaten by their fathers. She followed her own code of conduct. She did what she believed was right.

The Reverend would have punished her if he found her. He preached discipline, punishment, and no mercy. Suffering saved the soul, and the word of the Reverend was absolute. But the woman worked quietly to help, and to try to counteract the hurt. She treated violence with love. She stayed with the Reverend and the colonists because there were others who needed her. But at night when the Reverend slapped her, when he painfully held her down with his wet mouth on her neck as he took her, when he fell asleep beside her, leaving her feel empty and used, she wished for another life. Her heart ached. And she was lonely.

**To be continued…**

Well, here's Chapter 1! I'm soo sorry it took me so long to write and post it; life intervened. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, and I will _definitely_ be posting more regularly now, I promise!

PLEASE review! I would love to know your thoughts.


	3. Chapter 2: Do Unto Others

Hello!

First of all, thanks to those of you who have reviewed so far! I really appreciate your input and suggestions, and I'll try to take them to heart.

Special thanks for reviewing to:

seven samcham

TheSecretSpot

SayonaraAoiSora

Second, quick Author's Note:

I wanted to make my colonists who land on Ikitsuki Island Puritan to better fit the gist of my story. Since Samurai Champloo seems to take place not too long after the Shimabara Rebellion which was in the late 1630's, about the time the Puritans were busy killing and trying to convert the American Indians, I decided to have mine travel east instead of west. I admit, this is a little pretty unrealistic, so here's where the reader's imagination comes in… The first protestant missionary didn't actually arrive in Japan until the 1860's. So, I'm off by about 200 years. (Heh, oops. But since there's a Sam Cham episode involving baseball which became super popular in the late 1850's and there's another episode involving graffiti… we'll just pretend this is normal.) Anyways, I wanted to make a note of this since **seven samcham** made some really good points in their review. Hmm. I guess this note wasn't so short after all, was it?

BUT! On to the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Samurai Champloo or its characters.

**Chapter 2: Do Unto Others**

_Matthew 7:12_

_So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets._

The woman awoke to the sounds of the Reverend moving about the room. She didn't move a muscle; she kept her breathing even and her eyes closed. She had had the most wonderful dream…

She had been home, back with her parents and sisters. She hadn't been married yet; she still had her future ahead of her and a head full of dreams. She saw her father and he smiled at her, green eyes twinkling as he pulled up a stool. He reached for his fiddle and began to play, and her mother sang while her sisters began to dance. The fire had been crackling in the hearth, the room smelled of cedar. But then the door had opened and a man had entered. She saw him reach for her hand, but right before she saw his face… she had woken up. And the dream had disappeared. But, as long as she stayed still, the Reverend might not notice that she was no longer asleep. She might be able to bask in the warm feelings just a little bit longer. It wasn't to be.

"Wife." The Reverend's voice was cold. "Are you still sleeping, woman? Does thee think that the whole day is thine own for wasting? Sloth does not become thee, wife." He turned towards her, eyes darkening, mouth frowning. "Get up."

The woman flinched inwardly. "Yes, husband. Forgive me; my mistake shall not happen again." She pushed back the covers of the bed and swung her legs over the side. Her long, braided hair fell over her shoulder as she leaned forward and stood up. Turning around, she methodically made their bed – white sheets first, wool blanket next, quilt folded over the end. She paused ever so briefly as she ran her hand over the quilt; it had been a wedding present from her mother. It was a chain quilt, in deep green and blue. The panels that crisscrossed it were connected by tiny, perfect stitches, and it was lined with the softest wool. The Reverend had only let her bring it after days of pleading, coercing, and flattering. It was a tiny piece of home in a foreign land.

The Reverend ignored her and left their hut, heading out into the caves. The morning service would begin soon; she had to hurry and tidy up before she was needed at the chapel.

Their hut was small, consisting of a tiny bedroom, and a living room/kitchen. She quickly dressed, folding her white nightgown and placing it in the wooden chest of drawers that was against the opposite wall of the room that she shared with the Reverend. She cleaned the bedroom first, dusting off the simple table that held the white washbowl and tin pitcher, and above it the small sheet of glass that was their mirror. The bed was in the middle of the room against the wall, and she also dusted off the wooden headboard and footboard – the wood was gray and looked weathered; it was simple and rectangular with no decoration or carving at all. The bare minimum. There were no windows to break the monotony of the white walls. While the colonists had built the huts of wood, they had painted the insides with a mixture of crushed clamshells and water. The result was a white paste that served as paint, leaving a faint salt-water smell behind it. The smell of the sea permeated everything around them. At times it was stifling.

The woman moved on to the living room. She dusted off the chairs, the table (carefully moving the Bible resting on it), the windowsills, and the single shelf. She took down the curtains (they were made of a thick, dark blue fabric. They were practical, durable. Simple.), and shook them outside. Quickly hanging them back up, she surveyed that half of the room. Everything was in its place.

Moving to the other side, she removed the few tin plates and cups they had. One by one, she dusted each of them, and the shelves that held them. The hutch they rested on was cobbled together of more gray wood and iron nails, and contained three shelves and a small cupboard on the bottom with two doors. Moving to the other set of table and chairs, the one that she and the Reverend dined at, she dusted those off as well.

A bell sounded outside, calling all the parishioners to worship. Hurrying, she tossed her dust rag in a basket by the door along with other laundry that needed to be washed, and hurried out of the hut into the caves. The caves had been carved by seawater into the cliffs; there were multiple entrances that all led back into a series of larger caverns, which culminated in a massive cavern. It was in this final cavern that the Reverend had constructed his chapel.

The woman followed the lines of people heading back towards the chapel, all of them walking silently. Obediently. She saw the faces of Japanese villagers mixed in with those of the white colonists. As she slid into line, another woman slid in behind her. Reaching out every so slightly, their fingers touched and the Reverend's wife felt the note slip into her fingers. As the other woman disappeared, the Reverend's wife slid the note into a pocket. She already knew what it would say.

_Tonight, 8:00. _

_Prison cave._

The woman quietly knelt on the cold stone floor among the other worshipers. The Reverend stood at the head of the cavern on a raised rock in front of the altar, his head tilted back and his dark eyes coolly surveying his followers. He looked like some master, some god, his hair and beard black as coal, as black as the garments he wore. His eyes, as cold as the heart that beat in his chest and the hands that beat his wife. He was confident, because he believed he acted on behalf of divine power. He thought he knew.

What he didn't know was that at 8:00 that evening, the woman would slip away. And she would be taking warm bread, water, and bandages with her. She would be doing for the prisoners what she secretly wished someone would do for her.

xxxxxxxXXXXXxxxxxxx

"Mugen!" Fuu's shrill voice cut through the air. "You've gotten us lost, AGAIN!"

The ex-pirate calmly paused, looked back at her, and flipped her off before continuing down the same path. The color rose in Fuu's cheeks as her temper spiked.

"You JERK! Don't you care that we've been walking around in circles for hours? Ugh, we're completely lost, and you're just making it worse!" She stamped her foot and clenched her fists, glaring at the back of the figure in front of her.

'_Darn that Mugen…'_ she thought in frustration. _'Why is he so impossible to deal with sometimes?'_

However, Fuu knew that she should have expected it. Mugen was never the type of person to take orders well, or to second-guess himself. Once he had decided something, he went for it. Just like he had gone for the path that led off from the main road and into the forest, because some old man had told them it was a shortcut to the nearest city. It was that path that had led them into the heart of this old forest amongst towering trees that barely let any light in, even during midday.

Fuu looked around her. The massive pines stretched above her head, obscuring the late afternoon sunlight, and making everything seem like twilight. Ferns and other plants grew thickly among the tree trunks, making any attempt to stray from the path virtually impossible, and looming over it menacingly. Over their heads crows cawed and fluttered through the branches, taking off in bursts of feathers and noise, sending down a slight shower of pine needles every time they moved. Other than the crows the forest was mostly silent. Eerily silent. Already there were more shadows than light, and the trees were casting more and more as the sun set. Fuu didn't like the forest at all. There was something… sinister about it.

"Hey! Hey, wait up!" she yelled after Mugen, who had gotten quite a bit ahead of her while she was looking around. She started to run, trying to catch up. For some reason she was starting to panic; she just couldn't stand being by herself in that place. She was scared.

Mugen heard the girl yell, and rolled his eyes. She could be so dramatic sometimes… but he should have expected that. After all, it was Fuu he was talking about. So, it didn't come as much of a surprise for him when he heard her trip and crash to the ground.

Turning around, he saw her sprawled across some tree roots a few feet behind him, her brown eyes filling with tears.

"Owww…" she groaned, sitting up and pulling her legs out from under her. She looked down at her left foot. The sandal strap was broken, and there was a deep scratch stretching from her foot up to her ankle.

"Why the hell did you do that, you little brat?" Mugen asked her in annoyance. That was all they needed, something to slow them down. He was hungry and wanted to get to the next town soon. And he really needed to get laid.

"Like it's my fault! If you hadn't walked off and LEFT me, then I wouldn't have had to catch up to you in the first place!" Fuu was angry again, and in pain on top of that. "Why do you always have to be so stubborn? This is all your fault."

"My fault?" now Mugen was getting angry. "How the hell is you being clumsy my fault? You're such a pain in the ass!"

The two of them glared at each other, sparks flying from both of their eyes. Fuu was the first to look away.

"Fine…" she muttered sullenly. "I was clumsy. Now can you help me up? I just want to get out of here as soon as possible…"

Mugen almost stepped back in surprise. Since when was the girl so easy to shut up? He groaned inwardly. She was right though, he wanted to get out of this damn forest as much as she did. He didn't like it either.

Reaching forward, he grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet. Fuu winced as she put weight on her injured foot. It was starting to swell; she might have sprained it. And her sandal was basically useless now. She would have to buy a new pair when they reached the next town.

Mugen turned around, and before Fuu knew what was happening, slung her over his shoulder. She turned pink with surprise that quickly turned to outrage, as he planted his hand firmly on her behind. However, she couldn't do much except beat her fists uselessly against his back as Mugen set off down the trail with Fuu's head and torso hanging down his back.

"I really hate you sometimes, you know that?" she grumbled to him as he walked along.

"Shut up, will ya?" was Mugen's only response.

The shadows lengthened around them as the little light filtering through the trees faded. The two figures' silhouettes receded down the path towards town, making their way through the giant trees, which watched their progress like some sort of sinister sentinels.

xxxxxxxXXXXXxxxxxxx

Jin's footsteps were soft as he walked down the path. Looking around him, he noted the trees and the dimming light. It was going to be night soon, and he didn't want to be stranded in the forest after dark.

He sighed to himself. He wouldn't even have bothered venturing into this place, except for the reward money. The forest was rumored to be haunted by three spirits, and there was a cash reward for anyone that could "remove the spirits permanently." Jin, being low on money, had decided to take the job. He figured that the "spirits" were most likely bandits using the myth to rob and murder innocent travelers. So, he had set off into the forest that morning, taken a wrong turn, and gotten himself hopelessly lost.

The silence around him was suffocating. It was heavy, oppressive, and put him on edge. Even the birds had stopped calling to each other.

As the light continued to dim, his visibility decreased even more. A thin fog began making its way among the bases of the trees, slipping around them sinuously and silently. It moved like it was alive, twining through the leaves and tree trunks, gently touching and then shying away from the plants. Jin didn't like the forest. There was too much room for an ambush amongst the pines, and he could barely see 5 feet in front of him.

Shapes began looming out from the mist and the darkness, taking on twisted and mutated appearances. Some looked like people, or animals, others looked like demons. However, Jin's footsteps remained even; it would do no good to rush forward or panic when he couldn't see anything, but his senses were strained to their limit. He listened as closely as he could, trying to catch the slightest sound. That was when he heard the footsteps.

Freezing, he peered through the darkness in front of him. He didn't move a muscle, as the sounds approached. He guessed that whatever it was, was heavy… The feet were thudding down onto the ground with extra force.

Barely breathing, Jin's hand crept to his sword. He kept it there, hovering over the hilt, until he saw the outline – and wondered if there actually were evil spirits in the forest. Because, although he would never have believed it, the thing in front of him had two heads… and what looked like six arms. Jin stared, frozen for a moment, as the misshapen blob approached, stomping towards him. Grabbing his sword, he struck.

The creature in front of him leapt backwards, and promptly fell over, eliciting a shriek and a stream of cursing that would have curdled milk. Jin stood there, clutching his sword, wondering if he was dreaming, or if the forest had bewitched him in some way. The voices that he was hearing sounded suspiciously like…

"Mugen! How could you drop me like that!" Fuu yelled, clutching her injured foot.

"Because someone just tried to fucking kill us!" Mugen shouted back, unsheathing his blade. Stepping forward, he glared through the mist, trying to burn it away with the sheer anger in his gaze.

"Come on out, you son of a bitch! Let's see you try to hit me now!" Mugen snarled, tensed and ready for action.

Jin straightened up. Still holding his blade at the ready, he replied, "I guess that I didn't manage to kill you this time after all. But I'm glad to see that you've survived long enough since the last time we met for me to try again."

Fuu's mouth dropped open, and Mugen froze. "No way… Fish-face?" he asked incredulously.

Jin stepped forward out of the fog, and into their line of sight. "I would appreciate it, if you would stop calling me that," he said calmly, surveying the two of them. "I'm going to assume that you both are just as lost in here as I am. Am I correct?"

Any answer that he might have received was delayed by Fuu throwing her arms around him, and burying her face in his kimono.

"Jin!" she squealed, a huge smile lighting her face and making her eyes sparkle. "I was hoping that we would somehow run into you!"

Jin almost smiled. The sight of her sweet face looking at him like that… He stopped that thought short, before he could even consider how it might be finished. It was just Fuu. Granted… he had been worried about her, and it _was_ good to see her again.

He brought one hand up, and lightly clasped her slim shoulder before gently disengaging her from his clothes.

Mugen put his arms behind his head, and surveyed Jin. The ronin looked pretty much like he had when they left, maybe a little less thin. Mugen would never admit it, but he was rather glad that old Fish-face was back with them. There would be another man in the group (it was weird complaining to a woman that he needed to get laid), and he still was itching to fight Jin. Maybe not kill him, just… see who was the better fighter.

Fuu was ecstatic. Finally there was someone who was a little more reasonable than Mugen and who would listen to her without complaining. She had missed Jin more than she had thought she would. Besides, now there were three of them lost in the forest. Fuu felt just a little more secure with both of her previous bodyguards with her. She supposed it was because it just felt… right.

It was about that moment that Fuu remembered her foot was sprained, and collapsed to the ground with a thud. Jin's questioning look turned to one of worry, as he saw Fuu's injury. Mugen briefly explained that he had been carrying Fuu over his shoulder but had moved her to his back when she had complained of all the blood rushing to her head. Smirking, he noted that she had been roughly the color of a tomato when he had finally given in to her complaining.

Jin quickly allayed Fuu's fears of being thrown around by Mugen again by volunteering to carry the girl, and gently allowed her to climb onto his back.

Once she was secured, she looked over Jin's shoulder at his face. "So Jin, do you have any idea how to get out of here?"

He looked ahead through the fog at the path he had just come down. "I'm afraid I don't."

"Ah, what the hell? You're not any use anyways." Mugen spat to the side. "Let's just go the way you came. Can't be any more screwed up than we are now." With that, the ex-pirate set off and Jin and Fuu followed after a moment.

Jin smiled to himself, ever so slightly. Things were just like old times. He finally had his friends back with him, and they were setting off together. He just hoped that they could make it out of the forest soon.

xxxXXXxxx

A few hours of walking, many wrong turns, and much arguing on the part of Mugen and Fuu brought the trio out of the forest into a field by a lake.

"Finally!" Fuu sighed, as Jin deposited her softly on the grass. She fell back into the field, and stared up at the myriad stars twinkling softly above them. "I was beginning to think that we'd never make it out of there."

"Hn." Jin remained standing, and surveyed the land around them. A few hundred feet behind them, the wall of the forest stretched in a straight, dark line under the stars, and then curved around to the sides, surrounding them. They were standing in a large field covered with soft grass and dotted with white flowers. In front of them, the field turned into the banks of a lake, which stretched a few hundred feet long and wide. The forest reached down to the opposite side of the lakeshore, enclosing everything in a wide oval. Although he was relieved to be out of the trees, he still had no idea where they were.

Mugen threw himself down on the grass a few yards away. "At least we're out of that damned place. He laced his fingers behind his head and stared up at the sky. "Well, nothin' for it. Let's just sleep here till the morning."

Fuu murmured her assent, she was already dozing in the soft grass.

Jin also turned his eyes to the sky. Although there was no moon, the stars shone in velvet blackness, reminding him of Shino's dark eyes. Shino… The ronin frowned. Somehow, returning for her didn't seem as important as it had for the past few months, or even as important as it had seemed yesterday. Perhaps it was his loneliness that had made finding her again so important. He decided to file those thoughts away until a later time. Now he needed to get some sleep and worry about finding the way back to town.

Jin lay down on the grass on the other side of Fuu, who was already curled up in a ball with her head pillowed on her arm. Mugen was snoring uproariously on the other side of her. As his eyes drifted shut slowly, Jin didn't notice the three pairs of eyes watching them from the trees, and the smiles that revealed sharp teeth, gleaming in the soft light of the stars.

xxxxxxxXXXXXxxxxxxx

The woman stood by the mouth of the cave, eyes fixed on the sky. She had just returned from the prison caves, and her heart was aching. Seeing the wounds of the prisoners, the haunted eyes that stared back at her through the bars was enough to make her sick. The caves were dark and damp, raising the risk of infection. The prisoners were treated like dogs. Perhaps even worse.

She sighed. Although there was no moon, the stars were beautiful. However, everything was in the wrong place. On the opposite side of the world, even the sky was different. Leaning against the cave mouth softly, she reached under her chin and undid her bonnet strings. As she pulled it from her head, her hair tumbled down her back, catching the light and gleaming a dull red. She wished that she could be up there amongst the stars; she was sure that the earth must look beautiful from up there. And that far away… She wouldn't be able to see the imperfections. Among the stars, everything would be light.

The woman didn't hear the footsteps behind her, or hear the quiet breathing. Her mind was lost in fantasy, until the cold hand gripped her wrist and dragged her back inside the cave. She whirled around the see the face of her husband, and just in time to see his hand fly at her. The blow caught her on the cheek and she fell to the stone floor, scratching her hands on the rocks.

"Wife." The Reverend's voice was seething, harsh. "What is this? How dare thee unbind thy hair where any might see. And why art thou standing dreaming, when it is thy duty to join me in my home? Foolish girl." He eyes were burning, but there was more than simple rage in their depths. There was another kind of fire.

The woman trembled. "Forgive me, husband. Thou art right, as always. But the night is so beautiful… I couldn't help, but-" she was cut off by the firm grip that latched on to her shoulder and dragged her to her feet.

The Reverend pulled her through the caves, yanking her into their hut. As soon as the door was shut and latched, he pulled her to their bedroom and threw her to the bed. Her hair spilled over the white sheets, dark red, wine red, dark blood red. The Reverend reached out and ran his fingers through it, while his other hand fumbled with her dress.

The woman was shivering. She didn't want this. She didn't want this. She didn't want this. The thought was like a chant in her head, a desperate attempt to keep sane, to hold on to something while it happened.

As soon as her clothes were off, the Reverend didn't waste any time. He slammed into her dry, ignoring her scream as he ripped through her. He clamped his hand over her mouth and took her, eyes livid with lust and anger. He hated her while he wanted her, but he would take her again, and again that night until his lust was sated.

Tears fell from the woman's eyes, and in desperation she sent a prayer skyward, hoping that it would fall on someone's, anyone's ears. "Please. Remember me. Remember me."

**To Be Continued…**

So, here's Chapter 2! I was planning on posting it earlier this week, but camping isn't exactly conducive to fanfic writing. Anyways, as always, R&R!

I love feedback. =)

Chapter 3, coming soon!

-Aeilyn


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